Review: The Rough Guide To Blogging

December 6th, 2013

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 A few months ago, I found myself rummaging through an old stack of books lying around the house, and I came across a book I acquired some years ago, like 6 years ago. I don’t even remember why I purchased the book in the first place considering that I was in middle school and I had not even been serious about the blogosphere at the time. I actually cannot find a justification at all for the purchase in my memory, but boy I am glad I have it now!

I pulled it out again recently, because I am finding myself developing some habits I had spent time over the Summer trying to get rid of such as consistency of posting, and other rules of thumb. I needed a little kick that inspired me, and kind of reminded me of some of the fundamentals of blogging!

This book is a great choice if you are new to blogging, or trying to achieve my incentives from above. There is a lot of explaining of the principles of blogging and what it’s purpose is. It also contains many resources to online hosts, blog examples, html design and even has a whole section on Podcasting! It really does cover it all!

I will admit, one thing about this book is that it was published in 2006, making some of it’s resources and ideas out of date, considering that world of blogging has definitely evolved since then. While the actual online resources may be “out of date,” a lot of the principles shared from the early 2000s actually are much more helpful to review from a time when blogging was way less competitive and more about the content being posted. If you are looking to write with more authenticity, I think this is a great resource!

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I am enjoying finding old, and new resources as I grow to keep me motivated and keep me grounded when it comes to the fundamentals of blogging! I hope you have a fantastic weekend readers!

• Buy on Amazon!
• Jon Yang’s blog: jonyang.org

Re: Getting Out of My Funk

September 28th, 2013

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Now being a few weeks into school, I definitely have noticed the dry aura of my blog and writing. I actually noticed this with a lot of aspects in my life. Eating, physical activity, etc. While I have been productive in my studies and extra curricular activities through high school I still was not completely satisfied. I did have an epiphany though through a post from none other then Gala Darling!

She wrote a post earlier this week with her own experiences of being in mental slum the last few days. I had been dealing with this for the last couple of weeks on and off but I could not really pin point what this actually was. To my surprise, as I continued reading I was diagnosed perfectly! I was even more relieved to know that it was normal to get in states alike this one! Gala then shared some quick and easy routinely things that got her back into her groove, most of which I tried and definitely helped. I also added some things myself that I have been doing this past week that may help you get out of your funk as well.

I cleaned my workspace.

This is one that definitely boosted my motivation to work. After papers on papers of college prep, school work, and various magazine subscription cards, my workspace was getting very cluttered and I wanted to spend less and less time in that setting. Once I took a very reasonable amount of time just to rearrange and organize, I wanted to get right to work as soon as possible. It’s much more motivating to be working in a setting that you enjoy.

I drank something new.

I know that chai tea is not a substance foreign to my palate, but I definitely have not had it in a long time, and boy I was missing out. It has been much more tempting to buy the Pumpkin Spice Latte’s and Carmel Iced Mochas from Starbucks but this drink for one, is cheaper and two, has less calories, and I think that chai is just as sweet as many of the other drinks on the menu. Changing things up for either healthier alternatives or just for the hell of it, can just be a small jolt that may bump you back into positivity. This could also be achieved with foods as well.

I slept… less?

Another habit I tend to fall into during the school year is sleeping about an hour after I arrive home from school. It sounds heavenly that I have the time to sleep after school, but all it does is keep me up later then I should be and leaves less time for me to work on projects outside of school. Staying awake with a snack adjusts my sleeping schedule to something a little more humane where I am tired at the time I should be going to bed with a long day of productivity behind me.

I enjoyed my free time.

Tied with the amount of sleep I have accumulated of the last couple weeks, it was something that occupied a lot of my post school free time. This involved most of my day spent sleeping or just being lazy which drew me from outside work and other outside activities I wanted to complete in the afternoon. Getting off my lazy butt helped me actually do things I enjoy, and the fact I use my free time to it’s full potential increases productivity and a positive mood.

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Me too, Gala I am glad to be out of my own funk and actually getting back into my own work. I feel much more productive and am enjoying the school year much more again! I hope these tips help, and thanks Gala for inspiring this post and helping me get out of my own sour mood as well! Have a good one readers! xxoo

+Photo Credit: http://designspiration.net/

+Gala’s Original Post

I’m On Bloglovin’!

June 25th, 2013

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What Bloglovin’ is, is an awesome reader for your favorite blogs that you follow, that you can keep all together on one reader. You can search a blog to follow by title or by catagory with a simple viewer. I have been using it the past few weeks and I love it! Much easier then burrowing through folders and folders of “favorite blogs” tabs on Google Chrome!

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

One Year: A Year In The Blogosphere

May 8th, 2013

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Welp, I can’t believe it’s been a year since I started on this domain. It doesn’t feel like much, but I am proud of maintaining this home for me on the internet. I have had a presence on the internet like most of my age group for at least 6-7 years. I remember making little websites on my own when I was in middle school, etc. They were always abandoned. This has been a project I have stayed determined not to abandon, and I think I have even gotten better at updating rather from when I did 6 months ago.

I have always been fascinated by blogging, and like I previously explained I have had a presence on the internet for a while. For a long time I had been interested in video-blogging, Youtubers, etc. But it really was not where my passion was. I started reading more dedicated bloggers in early 2012 and that’s where I started to get inspired. I was also into photography and growing to be into the field of graphic design, and once I saw that many bloggers were just on these sites to share their passions, I was instantly inspired to partake in the fun. So I really had no other motive then to just get into it and see where it went, and I am still learning about all of this stuff.

I still am learning many things about the Blogosphere as I go along in this adventure but there is plenty I am already finding out. One of the biggest things I have learned is not to be afraid to try new things. At first, it can be quite overwhelming by bigger bloggers that you may not measure up, but what gives you an edge is the new things you try rather then sticking to the Status Quo. You will be happier if you truly blog about the things you like writing about rather then fitting a category  I still can find myself struggling with that, but I know I am much more pleased with my writing when it’s through my own passions. Speaking of passion, that should be your prime motivation. If you are blogging for monetization or fame, you will more than likely not get the results you are aiming for. People will begin to see through your lack of legitimacy so just stay real and blog about what makes you, you.

What I look forward for the future of this blog, is to see me share more. I began pretty vague and way less personal when it came to writing and sharing, and I am continuing to grow in that field, and I am excited to see what I have in store. I also think that another form of sharing my own content has motivated me to improve my content which I think I have grown in a designer all around in only such a short time, and there is plenty more to learn so I can’t wait to see where it takes me.

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I would like to thank everyone so far that has taken the time to visit my blog, comment, or like posts. I appreciate every view and like so much and it motivates me even more to keep going to create new ideas. I can’t wait for another year in the blogosphere. Have a wonderful rest of your week readers!

Small Towns- Embrace Your Neck of The Woods!

May 1st, 2013

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For many small-town bloggers in the blogger-sphere or just dreamers in general, we know we have spent a lot of time dreaming about living in big cities being streets away from the Madison Ave in NYC, or being able to shop on Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica. With these thoughts of places we are not as familiar yet, we tend to see our own neck of the woods as tasteless or boring. I know for me, especially in late Winter/early Spring I get tired of Grand Rapids and Michigan, but I then got to thinking about how I like reading things about the towns you normally don’t think of too often.

For Americans, we can get so caught up in our suburbs where things begin to feel the same for everyone. You will be surprised that if you take the time to find the little things that makes your town it’s own, then you will begin to be more pleased with your town regardless of the size. I have been finding more and more local businesses, restaurants, or  places that are unique to my town specifically, and it makes me appreciate my town, and realize it’s a lot bigger then just a little-big town that everyone has escaped from to the suburbs.

This may seem a little self explanatory, but if I have learned anything from blogging, you will get bored with your surroundings if you don’t use your resources. Even if that means taking the city bus to get downtown, you may find that little thing to be something you really enjoy. We all get so caught up in the media, and are under this impression that you can’t live a fabulous lifestyle unless you follow certain criteria, when really what makes your life fabulous is enjoying what you do, and enjoying where you are.

Don’t feel restricted to just your own town. It’s okay to explore! The suburbs are not always a taste-less cookie-cutter village. Like mentioned previously, exploring more will open up your perspective on your surroundings. I am proud to be from the region of West Michigan due to the fact I am only a short drive from a town, the beach, and a woodland escape. There’s plenty more out there beside your backyard, and main street.

While all of these ideas may seem open-ended and overwhelming, that’s kind of the point. We all glorify the places like New York, London, Paris, and so on because they all have their own unique things. What we don’t realize is that we all have our own something, that could be something as small as in your own back yard. It’s the smallest things that will let you appreciate your surroundings and may motivate yourself to share your surroundings with others. I know I do!

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Happy May Day readers! My question for you is, what is something about your town you find unique? Or have you ever felt overwhelmed/intimidated by larger more glorified towns? I hope you enjoy the rest of your week!